a long and winding weekend...

It was Lauren's 21st birthday this past weekend. A good excuse for the family to get together, so Danny flew in from Seattle to celebrate Lauren's day, as well as his own 25th birthday. It was a lot of fun, and a lot of action...

Lauren's day started out sweetly, with cupcakes (of course!), and gifts before going to dinner at the OBL.



After dinner (thank goodness she ate...) someone (the Birthday Girl) decided it was time for flaming drinks at the bar.


This is where it all went sideways...


I paced myself, but somehow, I magically became a backup singer!


It took a village to keep track of the girl, but at some point her "friends" found her and she got away from us at the bar. This is a pretty accurate image of how she felt compared to everyone else...


There was nothing for her to do the next day but sleep while the rest of us went snowshoeing...



I think Too Much Fun will be enough for her for a while. But she is in college... I don't wanna know...
~~~
There's nothing to liven up a family gathering like big wax lips. It turned into an instant Angelina Jolie look-alike contest!



On Danny's birthday, we went sledding, and then out for a nice, civilized dinner.



I'm glad I remembered to have the family photo taken before everyone took off. It was a great weekend!



~~~
Next stop - Tucson! See you there, or here, pretending you're there... I'll be there... with a camera, and you know I'm not afraid to use it!

A funny note about language, and misunderstanding...
Susanne Wichert sends me pictures of the cool jewelry she makes, but the last two pieces haven't had "my" beads in them , so I don't post them on the Designer Gallery Blog. She's cool with that.
The other day she said she'd gotten some old bowling pins, from an alley that closed down near Seattle, and she was making a necklace... I'm thinking - hmmm, seems like they might be kind of heavy, but I'd sure like to see a picture of this...


Ahhhh! Bowling pins, not bowling pins! We were using the same words, but speaking a totally different language. Makes me wonder how often this happens, how often we think we know what someone is saying, and actually have no clue. Kind of like "the other side of the cheese"... communication is so very tricky...

Birthdays, Beads, Tucson...

...in that order! My kids are coming home for their birthdays this week. I'm very happy that they want to be with us for their birthdays! Lauren will be 21, and Danny will be 25. Julia is here too, so the whole family will be together. It doesn't happen often, and I'm a Very Happy Mommy.

I only have a couple of days to make beads, so I think I'll do mostly cupcakes and hearts. This is the last batch in time for Valentine's Day. I'll be spending the weekend with the family, and then posting beads next Tuesday, January 30th. We leave for Tucson on Feb.1, and return on the 8th. I'm not doing a show there, and probably not taking any beads along. But if you hope to run into me, I'll be haunting the Holidome and others shows near there. We'll be at the Whole Bead Show on Friday (Feb.2), and the ISGB party that same evening. It would just be too much to try to meet with folks individually, but if you see me (you'll know my hair and my beads), please stop me and say hello!

Off to the studio. So much to do. So little time...

Oh! And OhMyGod... last night Anthony Bourdain was eating wild boar rectum! He's very small-minded about vegetarians (I love him anyway), but hahaha on him last night. It's hard to gross the guy out, but I think they did it. Bon appetit, Anthony! I'll stick with my lovely basmati rice and broccoli!

I wanted to show you this the other day, after watching Anthony Bourdain... the WEIRDEST donut shop on the planet. VooDoo Donuts in Portland, Oregon. Might well be worth a road trip. Certainly good inspiration for donut beads.....

They don't seem to have a picture of the Froot Loops Donut - only Cocoa Puffs, darn it! But here's the Bacon Maple Bar. OK - not vegetarian, but a truly inspired creation. Food Is Art. Sometimes.

Where have I been?... freezing in the studio mostly. It's cold. Damn cold. So cold we can barely keep the house warm. We have a wood stove, and that's it. Poor thing is struggling. There's another stove in the studio, but it's a cheapie, so needs constant tending or it goes out. I leave a window open for ventilation, so it's an uphill battle to keep warm. Think the life of an artist is all glamour? HaHa! You should see me... layers and layers of old, ugly clothes - mostly purple for some reason - full of burn holes from popping glass, and topped with a green apron from Starbucks. I have a lovely pair of old socks with the toes cut out, and thumb holes hacked into the sides, so I can wear them as fingerless gloves/something to keep glass out of my sleeves. Then there's my hair... I'm awaiting new products (thanks Chris!!!), but even with the right hair help, I still have to keep it out of the flame. A headband, scarf, or bushy ponytail complete my workday ensemble. The best news this week is a new pair of boots, that not only keep my feet warm on that cement floor, but also grip the snow like crazy. My old ones were always trying to throw me to the ground, but these ones are great. Lots of tread. I do enjoy remaining upright while walking out to the trash can...

No, I won't have Rick take a picture. It's too hideous. Just imagine me looking like the movie star of your choice, making beads on a sunny beach, surrounded by palm trees and beautiful surfer-boy assistants. It's much better for my glam artist image...

Awake since 3AM, I'm in the living room, by the fire, trying to be quiet so as not to wake Rick too. I don't sleep well these days. My head is too busy, and sometimes won't shut up and rest. I remember reading that two-year-olds who won't sleep are really just super smart, and on a constant journey of discovery. Best to let them stay awake and play. Maybe that's what's happening to me... or maybe it's whacko hormones...

At least I found time to enter Oprah's spa vacation contest. It's in the current issue of O Magazine. I want to win. I would love this more than cupcakes. Sending in a postcard seems simple enough, but you know, it's hard to say something that'll really grab their attention in 50 words or less. You try it! And the postcard is only to get you in the first group of 150. Eventually they'll whittle it down to 50 winners. I think I'm supposed to win... all the "50s", and I'm turning 50 this year. Yes! I want it bad! Go pick up the magazine and enter too. Wouldn't it be great if a whole bunch of beadists won, and got to hang out at the fancy spa together?

Miraval - Life in Balance...
hard to imagine...

This was a first. The first time one of our kids invited us over for dinner. About time! Julia and Rick live just around the corner from us, along with Rick's son, Jake. We went over on Friday night for a fabulous seafood bisque served with corn cakes and roasted tomato salad. Big Yum! It was actually the first time I'd even see the house. It only took... well.... several months... I'm polite. I wait for invitations. And I never want to intrude on our kids' lives. I think there was a certain intimidation factor... It all had to be just right to pass my inspection. HaHa! Guess she wanted me to know she's progressed from her "decorating style" back in high school. I'll say! The house is adorable. They've done a great job. And the food was terrific... hope they invite us over again soon! (and I hope someday I figure out what to do with my crazy hair... could it get any bigger???)

Valentine's Day

It occurred to me yesterday that Valentine's Day is only about a month away... So we jump from one holiday season to the next, with barely time to catch our breath. This is fair warning for all of you who want beads in time for Valentine's Day gifting! My kids are coming home for their birthdays at the end of January, and right after that, Rick and I leave for Tucson. That means after the 25th or so, there will be no more beads outta me until after mid-February. I'm making hearts now, so you'll have what you need before you even know you need it. Hope this all works out! Life in Retail Land is kind of strange...

There are three new CD's in my studio. I love all of them, but they're a pretty odd mix... Madeleine Peyroux - Half the Perfect World, Tom Waits - Orphans, and Tony Bennett - Duets: An American Classic.
Sometimes new music just saves the day, you know?

More cupcake dreams last night... But it occurred to me at some point that maybe it's not a crazy obsession. Maybe it's a Mission From God. And if God wants cupcakes, I'll be happy to make them for Her.

Looks like "Virtual Tucson" is on. We'll be there for about a week, the first week in February. I'll shop mainly for silver, and not sure yet if we'll try to mail from there, or just haul it all home and deal with it here. Probably the latter. I'm also hoping to meet some of you who plan to be there. I'll check around and see if there are any events we could all get together at. It's just too hard to meet with folks individually... I don't even do that for my family! Also, not yet sure if I'll have any beads to take with me. Looks like not, but you never know. Since I'm not doing a show there, there's no reason to plan for extra inventory. In my free time, right? No days off until February first. Then I'll be a puddle for a week. Last night I was dreaming of cupcakes, Marlo Thomas, and a stack of very comfortable beds... don't even try to sort it out. It just means I'm tired. No idea what Marlo Thomas has to do with it! She probably snuck in from someone else's reality. Off to make Cupcake Beads. I'm waiting for a shipment of "cherries and diamond sprinkles", and hope to have a batch ready to go on Thursday. See you at the Bakery...

You know, I always wanted hair like hers... she was so darn cute and perky and happy all the time. It had to be because of her hair...

The average relative humidity in Taos is 50%. That's dry. It's too dry for dust mites, which suddenly seemed like important information to have after seeing Oprah yesterday. It was about what's lurking in our filthy houses... The world is a pretty disgusting place when you look at it through a microscope. Later in the evening we watched an old episode of Northern Exposure. Interestingly, there was a dust mite theme going on there too. Maggie was freaked out because her cabin was infested with the little creepies, but Chris was his usual cool self, philosophizing that we're all in this big dirty soup together, and it's never going to get any cleaner.

I guess my comfort zone is somewhere in the middle. I like a clean, uncluttered home. I like people to wash their hands after they pee, and especially before they make food. My family teases me about the hand washing thing, but hey - I was a dental assistant. What can I say... I also realize that dirt happens, that we live in a place where dust is part of the decor, and that food prepared with love is more likely to make you well than sick.

Circling back to this dry climate... Too dry for dust mites means dry skin for all of us. My son, Danny, sent me some terrific No-Crack Super Hand Cream from Restoration Hardware. I love it because he sent it to me, because it works, because it smells nice, and because it looks like cupcake frosting. I have the Grapefruit Ginger, and I think I also need the Lavender Rosemary and the Meyer Lemon. A day without dust mites, and with clean, soft, cupcakey hands is a good day in my book.

Nothing on my mind today... how odd...

I'll try again tomorrow. Meanwhile, there are beads to be made. More Cupcakes on the way!

Thank you Christina Johnson...

... for saving the lost blog and sending it to me so I don't have to re-write it. You're a peach! Here's the rest of what I said yesterday. It picks up after snowshoeing...

Later on, we had an early dinner with some friends, and watched the first of the new season of "No Reservations" - Anthony Bourdain's show on the Travel Channel. It's our favorite show. Check it out.

I'm all over the place today... needing to organize the office and the studio. We can no longer find the surfaces. I need to make beads. I need to post beads tomorrow. I need to take a deep breath and relax a second. I like to start a new year with a clear head and a good idea of what I want to do with the next twelve months. But I think I'm spending too much time trying to make other people happy, rather than being true to what feels real to me. The more I put myself out there, the more I bump into people who are not particularly supportive of my point of view. Well, OK. There's nothing wrong with that. But I find it funny that I still want everyone to like me. Ha! Very silly. When my kids tell me about troubles with friends, I always say the same thing, "Go read the Four Agreements again." Never read the book? Trust me, it helps everything. I sent the kids a Refresher Course for the New Year. Here it is for you too...

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

...And this leads me the the Cheese Analogy...
It's come up a lot in conversations lately, so I might as well share it with you too.
It's a lesson in Perspective. We humans are often sure of our opinions and points of view, trusting that we know what we know because we see what we see. A lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding happens when we forget that our personal perspective is not the only perspective. This is where I bring in the cheese.
Tell me, what color is this cheese?

Most people say it's white or off-white or a sort-of-creamy-color. They look at me like duh... what a dumb question...
That's when I turn the plate around and say, OK, now tell me what color this cheese is...

Same cheese, different perspective. Sort of gives you a new outlook on life doesn't it?


Have a good day. And don't forget to check the other side of the Cheese.

So far, I'm having a great year. Rick and I went snowshoeing yesterday. You see the best stuff when you go outside and play. We drove up HWY 518 about 15 minutes from our house, and then walked in on a Forest Service road. The view was gorgeous. And look at the cute little curly bit of snow on the rock. I've never seen anything like that before, and I've seen a lot of snow!


...
Later today... the pictures got messed up, and when I tried to fix it, I lost the second half of the text. Grrrr...... I'll put it up again tomorrow. Have to re-write the whole thing...

Happy New Year! This is how the world welcomed us this morning. It was super foggy last night, and cold too. The result is frozen fog on everything. One name for it is pogonip. It's rare here, and so beautiful I had to get up early and go outside to take pictures.




We're going snowshoeing today, and then having dinner with friends. A good start to a new year. We ended the old one well too, with one friend here at our house, and a quiet celebration with champagne and cupcakes. Of course we had cupcakes! I tried the silly chocolate recipe again, and this time it worked. They're good!

Here's wishing you a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year, filled with wonderful things like champagne and cupcakes!